Mechanism for opening and closing car-doors.



e. w. VQIGT.. MEGHANISM FOR OPENING AND CLOSING OAR DOORS.

APPLIOATIN FILED 00T. 30,1909.

Patented July 26,1910.

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G. W. VoIGT. MEGEANISM FOB. (JPENING AND GLOSING GAB. DOORS.

APPLIUATION FILED com. lena.

Patented July 26, 1910.

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G. W. VOIGT. MBGHANISM PoR OPENING AND CLOSING GAR DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.30,1909. 965,770. Patented July 26, 1910.

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MECHANISIVI FCR OPENING AND `CLOSING' CAR-DOORS;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 26,

Application filed October 30, 1909. Serial No. 525,415.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Voler, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanisms for OpeningVand Closing Car-Doors, `of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates especially to means for opening and closing theexit doors of railway cars that are arranged for the payment of fares asthe passengers enter, `the objects of the invention being to providesimple, inexpensive door-operating means which may be attached to carsnot originally provided with door-operating means without makingextensive changes in the construction of the car; which shall bearranged for convenient operation by the motorman; and which is strongand not liable to derangement by reason of rough usage.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the front endor inclosed platform ofacar equip ed with door-operating mechanism embovying my invention. Fig. 1a illustrates a stop device for` limitingmovement of the actuating staff of the dooroperating mechanism. Fig. 2is a top plan view of said door-operating mechanism. Figs. 3, 4 and 5are details of the connection between the operating mechanism and thedoor. Fig. 6 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating a portion ofthe door-operating mechanism. Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views of theconnection between the operating shaft and the lever attached to thedoor. Fig. 9 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, but illustrating amodified construction. Fig. 10 is a similar view illustrating a furthermodification or alternate construction. Fig. 11 is a top plan view ofthe mechanism shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken in theplane of dotted line 12 of Fig. 10.

In Fig. 1 the platform of the car is indicated at 1, said platform beinginclosed or vestibuled in the usual manner, and having an eXit doorway2. (See Fig. 2.) A slidably supported door 3, which is shown in Figs. 1and 2 as being in closed position, is arranged to slide into the spacebetween the panels 4 and 5 forming a part of the inclosing wall. Themeans for sliding the door into and out of said space so as to open andclose the doorway 2 comprises a lever 6 pivotally supported at 7 upon asuitable stationary bearing structure and located behind the door andbetween the panels 4 and 5. The lever 6 is forked or bifurcated at itsupper end. A sleeve or collar 8 is arrangedto swing upon pivot-s 9 inthe forked upper end of the lever 6, said sleeve being slidable upon arod 10 secured in a vertical position `on thenner or rear edge of thedoor 3.` -It will be seen that as the lever 6 is swung upon its pivot,the door 3 will be slid into open or closed position. Suitable means maybe provided for cushioning the opening and closing Vmovements of thedoor. I have herein shown coiled springs 11 and 12 surrounding the rod10 and fixed in position to be engaged by the ends of the sleeve 8, saidsleeve impinging upon and compressing the spring 11 as the door nearsthe end of its opening movement, and impinging upon and compressing thespring 12 as the door approaches its closed posit-ion. The

buffer action of the spring 12 is sufiicient to check or retard themovement of the door and thus prevent injury to a passenger by reason ofslamming.

Supported adjacent to the pivot of the lever 6 and extendingtransversely of the car is a rock shaft 13 having a crank arm 14 iiXedthereon and extending upwardly within the space between the panels 4 and5. Upon the upper end of the arm 14 is pivoted a square block 15 havinga retaining flange 16, said block being slidable within an elongatedopening 17 in the lever 6.` Said block is preferably made square asshown, in order that, when two opposite edges have be-` colne worn, theblock may be removed from the slot, turned to present the two otheredges in` position for service, and replaced. Fixed upon the rock shaft13 is a down- Wardly extending crank arm 1S which is connected by meansof a link 19 with a crank arm 20 upon the lower end of an operatingstaff or vertical rock shaft 21. On the upper end of said rock shaft isa handle or crank arm 22 by means of which the staff may be rocked bythe motorman to open and close the door. The link 19 extends beneaththe` floor of the car, as shown in Figbl.

The swinging movement ofthe handle 22 may be limited in one directionbysuitable 21 and provided with a lug 21b adapted to engage a stationarystop portion 21C.

For operating the door I usea vertical rock shaft or staff, as shown,because by means of it the length of movement of the means, such as acollar 21@ fixed on the staff" it necessary :to alter the length of thelink 19 i in order to preserve such locking action. I, therefore, mayprovide suitable means lfor adjusting the length of the link 19, as, forexample, by using a socket 19a having a screw-thread connection with thebody of the link.

In some cases it may be desirable to locate the link 19 in a higherplane than that shown in Fig. 1, in order to prevent interference withfenders, hand brakes, rheostats, or the like placed beneath theplatform. In such cases, the construction shown in Fig. 9 may beemployed. The rock shaft 23 is represented in Fig. .9 as being locatedadjacent to the lower edge of one of the beams of the platform and atsome distance below the pivot 7 `for the door-operating lever. Theupwardly extending crank arm 24 upon the shaft 23 engages saiddoor-operating lever inthe same manner as has already been described inconnection with Figs. 1 and 2.

- Upon or adjacent to the inner end of the rock shaft 23 is an upwardlyextending crank arm 25 which is connected by means of the link 19 withthe crank arm 20 upon vthe lower endof'the operating staff 21.

When the platform is too short to render practicable themounting of thelever 6 behind the door, itmay be desirable to place thelever at theside of the path of move- Iment ofthe door and arrange the door totravel past said lever when' going into open position. Such aconstruction is shown in Figs. 10,11 and 12. vTherein the lever 6 isshownas pivoted at 7 so as to ext-end upwardly within the space betweenthe panels 4 and 5 .and at one side of the path of movement'of the door.To permit of so locating the leverv 6, it may be necessary to move thepanel 5 a slight distance to provide increased space between the twopanels. The rock shaft'26 is located adjacent to the-pivot 7andsuiiiciently far'below the `platform to provide space for anupwardly-extending lever of suiiicient length to afford the requisiteleverage or movement. The crank arm upon the lshaft 26 whichv engagesthe lever 6 is indicated at 27, while the upwardly-extending crank armto which the link 19 is attached is designated by 2S.

It will be understood that in the various forms of mechanisms hereinshown the door may be easily and conveniently moved by the motorman byoperating the handle 22. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 9 noalterations are necessary in applying the mechanism to the car, except,possibly, to form an opening in the ioor between the panels 4 and 5through which the crank arm 14 or 24 may extend, and to provide anopening in the platform through which the staff 21 passes. The onlyadditional change necessary in installing the form of mechanism shown inFig. 10 is to space the panel 5 inwardly to a slight extent.

By placing the crank shaft below the axis of the door-operating lever 6,and providing a crank arm on said shaft to engage the lever, it ispossible to operate the door with a relatively short movement of thehandle 22 and yet have suiicient leverage to permit of easy operation.

It will be noted that the shaft 13 or 23 or 26 is not positivelyconnected to the dooroperating lever 6, hence there is suiiicientfreedom of movement between said parts to prevent the lever 6 frombinding or working hard.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a car platform door-operator, the combination of a slidablymounted door, a lever pivoted at its lower end and extending upwardlyand operatively attached to the rear edge of said door, a rock shaftwhose axis is below the fulcrum of said lever, a crank arm on said shafthaving a sliding connection with said lever for swinging the latter, andmeans operatively connected to said shaft for rocking the latter.

2. In a car platform door-operator, the combination of a slidablymounted door, a lever pivoted at its lower end and extending upwardlyand oaeratively attached to the rear edge of sai door, a rock shaftwhose axis is below the fulcrum of said lever, a crank arm on said shaftoperatively connected with said lever for swinging the latter, anupwardly extending crank arm on said shaft, an operating staff, a crankarm on the lower end of said staff, and a link connecting said crank armwith the upwardly extending crank arm on said rock shaft.

GEORGE IV. VOIGT.

